Trump panic over Republican's shock death spurred last-minute speech to House GOP: expert

President Donald Trump responded to the dwindling lead of GOP congressional leaders in his address to the Republican Party on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN'S chief national affairs correspondent, told anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown that Trump now has a more difficult challenge in the 2026 midterms following news of the sudden death of 65-year-old Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), and a declining number of GOP leaders in the House.

"The bottom line, what he's trying...